1488 — Abū Bakr ibn Abī Dāwūd also narrated to us, saying: Ishāq ibn Ibrāhīm al-Nahshalī narrated to us, saying: Yahyā ibn Hammād narrated to us, saying: Abū Awāna informed us, saying: Abū Balj narrated to us, saying: Amr ibn Maymūn narrated to us, saying:

“I was sitting with Ibn Abbās—may Allah be pleased with them both—when nine men came to him and said, ‘Abū al-Abbās, either come with us or have these people leave us alone.’ Ibn Abbās replied, ‘I shall come with you.’ His eyesight was sound at that time. ⦗2022⦘ They withdrew to one side and spoke together, but I do not know what they said. He then returned, shaking out his garment and saying, ‘Fie! Shame! They have assailed a man who possesses ten distinctions! They have assailed a man of whom the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said, “I shall certainly send a man whom Allah will never disgrace, who loves Allah and His Messenger.” Those who hoped for the honor craned forward, but he asked, “Where is Alī?” They replied, “He is at the camp, grinding.” He said, “Could none of you have done the grinding?” Alī came while suffering from sore eyes and could barely see. The Prophet blew lightly into his eyes, then shook the standard three times and handed it to him. He returned bringing Safiyya bint Huyayy.

‘He then sent Abū Bakr—may Allah be pleased with him—with Sūrat al-Tawba, but afterward sent Alī—may Allah be pleased with him—to overtake him and take it from him. Abū Bakr asked, “Perhaps Allah and His Messenger…?” He replied, “No. Rather, only a man who is of me and I am of him may carry it.”

‘He said to his paternal cousins, “Who among you will be my ally in this world and the Hereafter?” They declined, but Alī said, “I shall be your ally in this world and the Hereafter.” He told him, “You are my ally in this world and the Hereafter.”

‘The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—then took his cloak and placed it over Alī, Fātima, al-Hasan, and al-Husayn—may Allah be pleased with them all—and said, “Allah only intends to keep impurity away from you, O People of the Household, and to purify you completely” [al-Ahzāb: 33].

‘Alī sacrificed himself: he put on the Prophet’s garment—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and then slept in his place. The polytheists used to pelt the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—with stones. Abū Bakr—may Allah be pleased with him—then arrived while Alī—may Allah be pleased with him—was asleep and assumed that he was Allah’s Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He called out, “O Prophet of Allah!” Alī—may Allah be pleased with him—told him, “Allah’s Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—has set out toward the Well of Maymūn, so catch up with him.” Abū Bakr—may Allah be pleased with him—set off and entered the cave with him.

‘Alī—may Allah be pleased with him—was pelted with stones just as ⦗2023⦘ Allah’s Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—had been. He cried out and writhed in pain, having wrapped his head in the garment and kept it covered until morning. Then he uncovered his head, and they said, “We used to pelt your companion, but he did not cry out or writhe. You do, and we found that strange.”

‘The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—set out with the people on the expedition to Tabūk. Alī—may Allah be pleased with him—asked, “Shall I go with you?” Allah’s Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—replied, “Are you not content to be to me as Aaron was to Moses, except that you are not a prophet? It is not fitting that I should depart unless you are my deputy.” The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—also told him, “You are the patron of every believer after me.”

‘He closed all the doors opening into the mosque except Alī’s door. Alī would enter the mosque while in a state of major ritual impurity, for it was his passage and he had no other route. He also said, “Whoever has me as his patron, Alī is his patron.”

‘Ibn Abbās said, “Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has informed us in the Quran that He was pleased with them—meaning the Companions of the Tree—and knew what was in their hearts. Has He then told us that He became displeased with them?”

‘Allah’s Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—spoke to Umar—may Allah be pleased with him—when Umar said to him concerning Hātib ibn Abī Baltaa, “Permit me to strike off his head. I would indeed have done so.” He replied, “How do you know? Perhaps Allah, Mighty and Majestic, looked upon the people of Badr and said, ‘Do whatever you wish, for I have forgiven you.’”’